Two British IS fighters known as 'Beatles' captured by Kurds in Syria

02/08/2018

9:46:04 PM

Updated on

02/08/2018

9:46:05 PM

Written by

AFP

An image grab taken from a video released by the Islamic State and identified by private terrorism monitor SITE on September 13, 2014 purportedly shows a masked militant before beheading British aid worker David HainesSITE Intelligence Group/AFP

Two British Islamic State fighters who were part of a notorious kidnapping cell dubbed "The Beatles" for their British accents have been captured in Syria, a US defense official confirmed Thursday.

The two members of the group still alive, Alexanda Amon Kotey and El Shafee el-Sheikh, both from Britain, were captured in January in eastern Syria by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces.

"The two are believed to have acted as guards and interpreters involved in ISIS' illegal captivity of Western hostages, and are thought to have links to the British terrorist often called 'Jihadi John," the official said in a statement.